Jeremiah 29: (7-10), 11
Deacon Sally at St. John’s asked me to speak to this year’s graduates using Jeremiah 29:11. She felt a nudging of the Spirit toward this verse – that this is what God wants us to hear, contemplate and share at this unusual time in history. Her assignment for me, using this verse, is the theme: Praise God. Come this Trinity Sunday, I will join others in sharing a special message virtually to our graduates.
I have found this assignment both challenging and inspiring. Here we are, trying to recover from the threat of a virus, hoping and praying to get on with our lives, only to witness brazen and egregious acts of violence and destruction taking place in our cities. And our hearts break. It may be a challenge to convince a group of aspiring, talented – but perhaps heartbroken – young graduates in less than 10 minutes that we are to praise God nonetheless, as I believe we should.
At the same time, I find inspiration in the Word to the prophet. There are deep spiritual clues found within these oft-quoted words that can turn breaking hearts into prayers of praise. It begins with the verse’s first words: “For I…”
Jeremiah used a form of the word that was not as commonly used in the time of exile. It is used here for emphasis on the Lord’s personal involvement in the welfare of the people, and God’s assertion of sovereign care.
Jeremiah 29:11 stands in direct contrast to what happened earlier, such as in ch.18, when the people were devising plans against Jeremiah, plotting to kill him, after he boldly declared that the Lord was making plans they would not like but designed so that they might turn from evil and reform their ways and actions. But God also heard them saying in their hearts, “It’s no use. We will continue in our own plans; each of us will follow the stubbornness of his evil heart” (18:11-12).
Jeremiah stood alone against them and their “prophets” spreading false hopes and lies about
God’s plans for their exile. They were saying what the people wanted to hear, that everything will be alright, life will return to normal, when in fact it was a lie. They were promoting fear of the authorities God had given charge over them in order to promote their own popularity and agenda. Sound familiar?
What does Jeremiah do? He praises the Lord (Ch. 20)! He is committed to God’s plans despite his trouble, sorrow and broken heart. God is making plans for peace and prosperity. Shalom is the word. Prosperity fashioned by God for the welfare of the people, the peace that gives hope for the future.
I looked back at some of the earlier church teachers such as Augustine and Jerome and discovered that this popular verse 11 was not their favorite. They gravitated toward verse 7. Here is an expanded translation to capture the depth of shalom: Seek the peace of the city in which I have carried you (in exile), and pray on behalf of it to the Lord, because in its safety/welfare/ prosperity you will have safety/welfare/prosperity.
For them, the important thing is to bloom where you are planted, prosper where God has put you. In every time and situation, and despite the craziness going on around us, we have opportunity to become part of God’s plan.
Jerome said that, in a mystical sense, we are all exiles from Jerusalem; therefore, we must not be careless or despair, but build up our community with wisdom, fortitude, justice and good works. Even as I write this, churches are working God’s plans in their communities, cleaning up the broken glass and general mess from the rioting, and providing food where grocery stores have been looted. Praise God!
As the opening words of v. 11 call forth God’s sovereign care for the people, like a Father to children (Ch. 3), v. 7 shows us what we are to do. This is how we get with the plan, God’s plan: seek and work for peace in your city – its safety, welfare and prosperity – pray for it…and praise the Lord!